Antebellum
by snowwinter486
Summary: Because for once, it was Ikari patching Sena up after the fight. Established Ikari/Sena.


Pairing: Ikari/Sena. Hinted other/Sena.

Summary: Established Ikari/Sena. Because for once, it was Ikari patching Sena after a fight.

Warning: cursing, fighting, kisses, fluff.

Timeline: Second year of Deimon for Sena. Middle of Winter Competition.

-x-

Ikari tried hard not to notice how it was easier to patch someone else up rather than himself.

He sighed. His heart felt as constrained as he had been back when he was unable to break the chains off of him.

At least the chains tasted good and was a replacement for the lack of gum in his life. And the chains were easier to get rid of, but this?

He noticed Sena flinch and vaguely wondered if he was being too rough with the ointment on the male's face, arms, and knees.

A flare of anger shot up in Ikari before he forced himself to calm down a little more.

He needed to calm down so he could properly fix these goddamn wounds. He of all people knew about infections and how they were a bitch to take care of. That, and the fact that Sena would always nag him to take care of his wounds so they would get infected.

He relaxed slightly at the softer memories of Sena's pout ("It's not a pout!" Sena would exclaim, but no one believed that, but they wouldn't argue either) and then glanced at large brown eyes.

One was swollen and the other eye was getting ready to drown in the blood that was spilling from Sena's eyebrow.

Ikari scowled a little more as he remembered the bastards' faces as they ran like hell (or maybe from hell, since Ikari already called to Takami and Sena called to Hiruma explaining the situation…), and the whimpering noises that had escaped Sena.

And he should have been there sooner, but no, he was at the arcade with the Huh Huh brothers from Deimon and he just couldn't have left the score like that…

"Ikari?"

That soft, beautiful, untainted, voice stained the air around them.

Ikari audibly growled, a dark grumble trudging past his lips.

He felt Sena tense, but he did not flinch away (if he had, Ikari's heart might have shattered or something heart-wrenching like that. They've been through too much for Sena to start flinching again).

"Ikari."

"ORA! What?" He finally snapped. Again. (and all those hours of Sena trying to get him to calm down and do better when it comes to his anger vanished. Granted, this was about Sena. Of course he cared considerably more about him than anything or anyone else.)

Ikari's eyes snapped up to unwavering brown eyes, and the ex-delinquent's breath hitched in his throat.

It was like falling in love with the male all over again. And Ikari's eyes locked with Sena's unable to look away from that beautiful, unwavering look.

Sena didn't look like the kicked puppy or the self-depreciating male that everyone knew him as (not like Ikari, he saw sides of Sena that people could only dream of).

No, he looked proud, determined, beautiful, and a lot more adjectives that if Ikari's brain hadn't short-circuited, he would be able to name, but damn!

That was definitely one of his favorite parts of Sena. That undying resolve that blares in his eyes before rushing off to infect _everyone _around him (all in different ways, but Ikari doesn't need another reason to become angrier right now), and it lasts to make everything worth it and give him something else to be remembered by, and makes Ikari's pants tight, but still.

He was supposed to be too angry for this. So, he furrowed his eyebrows at the male he loved.

(Not that it stayed like that. No, not against his Sena.)

"I don't regret it," Sena said at last, and for once, it was Ikari that broke eye-contact, his eyes falling towards the ground.

He may refuse to back out of fights and challenges, but cleaning the blood off of his Sena's eyebrow was first priority.

"Regret what? Fighting without me?"

His voice was nothing less of worry and prissy-ness that shouldn't be present in anyone or anything that wasn't a PMS-ing chick or Agon or something.

Sena had some courtesy to look somewhat guilty.

"No," he shook his head. "I don't regret that fight. I never will, Ikari. You can't change that."

Now Sena had caught Ikari's full attention (but really, like Ikari could actually pay attention to anything else). And he just had that same look that he did on his face when he first came to someone about the extra bullying that did go on and…

"What? Wait, wasn't this just another bullying-shit that you somehow always get pulled into?" Ikari demanded. "Damn bastards, I thought Agon and Gaou took care of all those motherfuckers last year…"

"N-no! Ikari! And it was Agon and Gaou?"

That surprised, innocent look that passed Sena's face relaxed Ikari's body against his will.

"'Che. Nah, Shin and Yamato joined in for a lot of it," Ikair smirked about the 'fond memories' he had with his newfound friends before his smirk twisted painfully down like some sprained ankle.

"But that was a while ago," he growled, "and what the hell was the fucking fight about, Sena?"

Sena looked away once more, and then winced as he probably pulled some abdominal muscle.

"Sena," Ikari felt like breaking, like he saw in that lame-ass movie that moved so many fucking trashes, and Sena, to tears by the end of the movie (and yes, something had gotten into his eye, which was the only reason why he looked all puffy-eyed), the movie with the Alzeheimer and the 'reading of the grandman's diary'. "Please."

The shock on his face was evident, and Ikari saw his own pitiful, abandoned-puppy look in Sena's eyes.

(But to be reduced to begging. All those delinquents would we laughing. But then again, they don't have anything like Sena.)

Surprising enough (or maybe it really wasn't), Sena cracked down and spilled the beans.

"…They insulted you. They said that you and that football was jack-shit and that I just got lucky with you and I don't care if it's only luck and my football skills that are keeping us together, because I love you and I don't want to lose you and-"

Ikari, out of all characterizations of him being the tough, scary, lonesome guy, he found himself hugging Sena as though he found the best thing that ever happened to him wasn't just another dream or something that could be taken from him.

And screw proper sentences at this point in time, Ikari loved his man and he was speaking foolishness that couldn't be continued.

"…I just had to hit him for that. I don't regret it. I don't. No. Not until he fixes his sentences about you. I don't want you to go. I love you. I love you. I love you."

The words continued and Ikari hugged a little tighter, forgetting about the wounds on the male and kissed his man's neck, ear, and cheek.

"Ha. It's funny, huh?" Sena was still talking, tears drowning his eyes even as Ikari kissed his eyelids as though he was the romantic he pretended he wasn't, and "All this time. And I just wanted you. I love you. I love you."

"I love you, too," Ikari whispered back.

But when Sena looked at him, blood starting to spill from his eyebrow once more and left cheek bruised and his other eye swelling, eyes bright behind his tears, and then he just smiled. Relief and euphoria and pure Sena showed in the smile that Ikari had fallen in love with too many times.

Ikari found himself smiling back.

Because for once, it was Sena that was getting patched up, and yet, Ikari didn't mind it in the slightest.

(Besides, how often can you say that you're wimpy love can actually grow a back-bone when it comes to you?)

-Omake-

Sena: Wait, Shin-san and Yamato-san got back at the bullies too?

Ikari nods: Yeah. I couldn't join them all the time, but the one time I went with them, I saw a bunch of boars run by, and then I was blinded by some bright light…

Sena: Oh! Are you okay?

Ikari: KORA! Of course I'm okay! I can take anything!

Sena: Wow. That's so cool….

In the background, Takami sighed.

Takami: I wonder who I'm supposed to worry for….


End file.
